Snow plow

ABSTRACT

A snow plow has snow propeller drum structure driven by hydraulic motor means disposed inside this propeller drum structure. Advantageously, several hydraulic motors drive two symmetrical sections of a drum by a common gear and shaft means within the drum structure.

Unite States Patent Brnnner 1 Mar. 5, 1974 [541 SNOW PLOW 3,166,952 1/1965 Lang 74/665 (1 A 3,214,998 11/1965 Hall 1 0 74/661 175] Gustav Hausa, Germany 3,021,620 I 2 1962 ROSCHIIIZIIW 37 43 1; [73] Assignee: Firma Ing. Alfred Schmidt, fi 2g ore o schwarzwald Germany 2,463,349 3 1949 Baner 74/665 B [22] Filed: Feb. 23, 1972 3,398,470 8/1968 P0016131 37 43 E [21] Appl. No.: 228,592 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 278,894 6/1969 Austria 37/43 C [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 21 1971 Germany 2147001 Primary Exami"eEmeSt wright Assistant ExaminerEugene H. Eickholt 52 us. (:1. 37/43 1), 74/661 Attorney FimPA- Nolte, Edward 51 im. (:1 EOlh 5/00 Hunter; 9 Bruce Hamburg 581' Field Of Search 37/43,8;172/49,51,68, n Y 118-123; 56/106, 10.9, 11.9, 13.5, 13.6; [57] ABSTRACT 74/661 665 A snow plow has snow propeller drum structure 1- a a driven by hydraul1c motor means d1sposed inside this propeller drum structure. Advantageously, several hy- UNITED STATES PATENTS draulic motors drive two symmetrical sections of a 3,468,041 9/1969 Mattson et a1. 37/43 E drum by a common gear and shaft means within the 3,503,450 3/1970 Day....l 172/119 X drum strucmm 1,725,487 8/1929 Steinmetz et a1. 56/106 I 3,613,336 10/1971 Smith 56/lO.9 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures y 1 22s 30 L 3b 21. 21. 20 211x 7 B 20-; /-2e L 23 y A 1 11 21 22 211 3D 5 3E 3c AYAYAY L2'5 SNOW PLOW BACKGROUND AND NATURE OF THE INVENTION drum structure is driven by hydraulic motor meansmounted within it. Such motors can be made relatively light when they receive hydraulic power from a power generator mounted elsewhere, as the invention pro poses. Because of the novel mounting arrangements the motor and power generator means no longer interfere with proper sight of the snow plow driver.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a snow plow according to the invention, partly in section, taken along lines I-I in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken along lines lIIl in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1', the new snow plow 1 is mounted in front of a suitable vehicle 2, which canbe-conventional. The new snow plow drum structure comprises a pair of drums 3a, 312, each having the usual snow propelling ribs, as schematically shown at 3c and having inner ribs 20 for mounting the drum wall on a central hub 21. Each hub 21 is rotatably supported by ball bearings 22 on a stationary hollow axle 23.- The hollow axles extend, inwardly, along the axis of the drum structure, from hubs 21 to an inner area where they, by radial ribs 24 are secured to a stationary carrier ring 25. This ring, as shown in FIG. 2, is generally disposed in a vertical plane, centrally of the front of vehicle 2, and has brackets 27 extending radially outwardly through the gap between the two drum walls 3a, 3b to the carrier frame and shell 26 of the plow whereto they are secured. Thus, the frame and shell 26 by structures 27, 25, 24 carries the axle-hub structures 23, 21 and thereby the two drums, as a bilaterally cantilevering but firm, drum-supporting structure. I

As additionally shown in both FIGS. 1 and 2, a drive shaft 4 for the two drums extends through hollow axles 23. This shaft has flange means 28' on its outer ends whereby it is secured by simple bolts to the outer ends of hubs 2].

Near the plane of ring 25, shaft 4 has a drive gear 5 secured thereto, which meshes with pinions of two hydraulic motors 7 and 8. The two motors 7 and 8 are secured to a central rib or plate 30 peripherally held on or integral with carrier ring 25.

As further shown in FIG. 2, plow unit 1 and frame or shell 26 thereof have carrier or connector plate 31, on a rear surface of this unit, for securer nent thereof to corresponding connector means in front of vehicle 2. These connector means are not a part of this invention. An additional system of braces 32 can also be used for connecting the plow unit to the vehicle.

As also shown in FIG. 2, inlet and outlet valves 9 and 10 are directly connected, within the drums, to-both hydraulic motors by means of .pipes 12 13, 14, 15. These pipes are suitably supported from the nonrotating snow plow structure 25, inthe drum. Valve 10 through a pipe or hose or other duct 11 receives hydraulic fluid under pressure, through a hollow part 27a of this structure, from a suitable pressure generator, not shown, which advantageously is mounted in vehicle 2 and connected to the drum unit by control connector 17, 18. The connector is shown as having return duct 16 as well as duct 11, and of course is connected with the generator by suitable hoses or the like, not shown.

In the drum unit the ducts are SU'COhnCCtCd that the two hydraulic motors in-the illustrated embodiment can operate in parallel.

It will be understood that valves 9 and 10 can have conventional three-way.mechanisms. Thereby either hydraulic motor can be operated alone, when the snow load is such as to allow such operation. To this end, arrangements of course can be made to control the threeway valve from' the drivers seat in vehicle 2. In other cases a single hydro-motor, for example motor 7, may suffice and valves 9 and 10 in such case only serve as ON, OFF valves. In such case, gear 5 is not always needed and the hydraulic motor can also be mounted on shaft 4.

However, the use of several relatively small motors such as 7 and 8 is preferred, as these aremore readily obtainable as standard motors and are particularly easy to employ, together with their control valves, will be apparent from the drawing. In this connection, it is also to be noted that typical rotary velocities of snow plow drums usually call for speed reduction when powered by ordinary hydraulic motors such as motors 7 and 8. Theoretically, motors 7 and 8 could apply rotary moments to shaft 4 at places distributed along this shaft. However, it is preferred to use a single gear 5 for this purpose. Power is then transmitted to the periphery of the gear, at several points, thereby minimizing the transmitted load at each point of gear transmission and thus minimizing the total cost of the drive. In addition, the construction then becomes symmetrical, simple and strong, as already explained.

What is claimed is:

1. A snow plow structure comprising:

a. at least one pair of snow plow drums coaxially juxtaposed to and closely spaced from one another;

b. a rigid support structure for said drums, comprising a plate generally vertically extending between the drums of said pair;

c.' drive means for the drums, disposed within the drums and comprising a drive shaft common to and centrally disposed within the aforesaid drums; a rotor for driving said shaft, adjacent said plate; and a plurality of hydraulic motors distributed in the space within the drums for driving said rotor; and

d. valve means for controllably and selectively connecting said hydraulic motors to a source of drive energy outside the drums, said valve means being operatively connected to said motors.

2. A snow plow structure according to claim 1, wherein said support structure includes a hollow axle for each drum, said axle being rigid with said plate, being concentrically disposed within the drum and h'av ing one part of said drive shaft centrally disposed therein and connected to the drum at the outer end of the shaft.

3. Av snow plow structure according to claim 1, wherein the rotor of said drive means is a gear having said shaft rigidly connected thereto;.every one of said plurality of hydraulic motorshaving a drive pinion in mesh with said gear. 

1. A snow plow structure comprising: a. at least one pair of snow plow drums coaxially juxtaposed to and closely spaced from one another; b. a rigid support structure for said drums, comprising a plate generally vertically extending between the drums of said pair; c. drive means for the drums, disposed within the drums and comprising a drive shaft common to and centrally disposed within the aforesaid drums; a rotor for driving said shaft, adjacent said plate; and a plurality of hydraulic motors distributed in the space within the drums for driving said rotor; and d. valve means for controllably and selectively connecting said hydraulic motors to a source of drive energy outside the drums, said valve means being operatively connected to said motors.
 2. A snow plow structure according to claim 1, wherein said support structure includes a hollow axle for each drum, said axle being rigid with said plate, being concentrically disposed within the drum and having one part of said drive shaft centrally disposed therein and connected to the drum at the outer end of the shaft.
 3. A snow plow structure according to claim 1, wherein the rotor of said drive means is a gear having said shaft rigidly connected thereto; every one of said plurality of hydraulic motors having a drive pinion in mesh with said gear. 